West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-09-08

hS WaltSu moment more.
"lou-you could not tell me where
she is now2"
The superb female smiled nightly.
Not very well, since have told YOU
that don't even remember the name"
NO, of course not, ," stammered poor
"Who was he afterl Seemed to be
pretty badly cut up, he heard some one
laugh as he went out.
Stumbling a little in his walk he
passed along the great, strange, noisy
street once more. Hurrying hundreds.
each unit of them all on his own in
terests, his own absorbing concerns. in.
tent, brushed by him unheeding.
Rudderless, composites, he found him
self launched upon an unknown and
boundless sea- Where should he look
nowf Never in these five years OF toll,
OF patient striving for one idea, had this
thought occurred to him, that when he
did manage TO follow her il might be too
late; that she might have gone beyond
the ken utterly of those who had known
her. He walked about the streets
vaguely, ,aimlessly, all that day; and when
the downtown thoroughfares shone with
the white glare of electric lights he con
tinued his footsore wanderings. He
stopped before show windows when the
crowd stopped. And once he followed
small detachment into flaring place
labeled Museum of Natural Curiosities. 4"
where he looked, without comprehension,
at fat woman, girl from Circassia with
woolly hair, and an assortment of wax
figures. On leaving this place he noticed
sign offering nights lodgings for
twenty five and fifty cents, beside a
narrow, clean flight of stairs leading up
ward into large house. He considered
moment and then went in He paid
fifty cents. He took his money out Of
his pocket and put it under his pillow.
He would be very careful OF it, He
would spend nothing on himself. He
might find Hilary yet. But wherc2
1t was "A small room, its spaces man
aged and utilized in the spirit of com
pact snugness which characterizes the
cheaper metropolitan fiat; but il was a
very pretty room. It's grace and almost
elegance of arrangement made up for its
exiguity. And the pretty woman who
poured tea for her one visitor gave a last
bright charm to the apartment which the
He was a rather forid person. to whose
good looks the touch of forty years had
given certain appearance of added
prosperity and perhaps pompousness.
The appearance of prosperity was quite
justified. Mr. Vannest McFarlane had
all the material things which man need
wish for. Perhaps he took t1em-his
unlmpeachable position, his Knickcr-
hnprnr i,,I,
lated wealth--Tather as a tribute to his
personal excellence and respectability /;
but, all the same, he was man of many
good impulses and of some generosity.
If he were very prudent in some respects
one could not but acknowledge that he
had the right TO such prudence, situated
as he was. The Mrs. Vannest McFarlane
of the future would enter upon really
very desirable position.
eyes, ! have great sympathy with
some of these fellows - observed Mr.. Nc
Farlane, slipping his tea. at is pathetic
the struggle they 90 through when they
are launched into the maelstrom of city
life. Some swim; but many more sink
Yes-poor fellows I've seen good
many cases of the kind"
The bright young widows face dark
ened with an alluriDg sympathy.
'Yes," she assented with a soft little
murmuT"
"Some have come under my especial
notice"
Eyes? ] dare say you have given many
struggler a helping hand, too, " said
the young widow. She said il quietly,
net impulsively. If she had forced the
enthusiastic note at all Mr.. McFarlane's g
delicate taste would have taken-umbrage.
This was precisely what Mr. McFarlane
so greatly appreciated in the charming
little woman in the black dress. He
made no allusion TO himself on the score
Of her probable original status. He did
not know exactly what it was; but he
imagined, without wishing 10 inquire
very far back, that it was something
rather simple, while respectable He
did not think he should at all have
cared for the acquaintance Of the defunct
Mr. Lawton, who had been a frank
fresh, young dry-goods clerk, with great
limitations as TO his intellectual outlook.
and evidently greatly his young wife's
inferior. Mr.. McFarlane could not but
consider il as almost prOvidential-and
this quite impersonally- that the young
dry goods clerk, after insuring his life
nicely, should have left his wife 10 pur-
sue her career unhampered by the restric-
tions that a husband without many re-
sources must place upon u clever and
pretty woman. If Mr.. McFarlane was a
little slow in finally crystallizing his
various feelings Of appreciation, admi-
ration, for this particular clever and
pretty woman into definite offer Of his
person and its accompanying advantages.
IL is 10 be remembered, and said before,
that the advantages were really quite
uncommon.
"a man does what he can in such n
case, he said, in reply to her remark
But the remark had flattcred him-had
been delightfully."- agreeable.
And Mrs. Lawton was looking so very
charming so even than usual, If
that were possiblc-that evening. There
was such soft color upon her cheek
such q light in her eyes
And what an air Of grace and breed
ing she had There was something in
personal distinction certainly. It was
an excellent substitute for social distinc-
tion, If one could not have that And
what n quaint, mellow name Hilary was Z
''l have had one instance under my
notice for some time, he pursued "Tho
young fellow came from the rural dis
trcts about two years ago. lie was hon
est industrious, n capital fellow. though
rather dull. But don't think Ii wastbe
dullcss which stood in the vyav Of bia